


You Are My Eight

by TheVampireLucinda



Category: Professional Wrestling, 新日本プロレス | New Japan Pro-Wrestling
Genre: Comfort, Crying, Developing Relationship, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Friendship/Love, Loss, Love, M/M, Multi, Okada being mature and comforting, Phone Call and Texts, Polyamory, Self-Doubt, Slash, Wrestling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-25
Updated: 2019-04-25
Packaged: 2020-01-31 12:41:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18591484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheVampireLucinda/pseuds/TheVampireLucinda
Summary: Tanahashi had just lost the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in heartbreaking fashion; and as he stumbled to the back filled with sorrow and doubts he is confronted by a startling realization:He isn't the only Light in this Universe.





	You Are My Eight

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Because of the wonderful and talented Vrekasht, I can no longer imagine Tana's room without a million pictures in it. Thank you for such a beautiful headcannon. Starring Tanakada (or, Tanachika as our Golden Boy likes, LOL), Shibatana, and Tanamura (did I make that one up???) Sorry if I'm rusty...I'm finally getting trying to get back into the swing of things!

“I...can't...anymore...”

Words he thought he'd never utter, words he swore he'd never even think suddenly tumbled freely from his parted lips, breathless and low.

The Young Lions carrying him to the back honestly thought that they'd misheard.

Because Hiroshi Tanahashi, the Ace of the Universe, would never, ever quit. Never, no matter what. Not even after losing his most precious title to the slimiest snake in New Japan.

However, their hero was all but lifeless as they helped him to the trainer's room, eyes dull and expression empty.

“Hey, you've done enough; I got him.”

Kazuchika Okada stood in the center of the hallway, blocking the trio's stumbling progress. Tanahashi looked up at him with pain-filled, red-rimmed eyes, dull and bleary with more emotions than one body should ever contain.

“I got him,” Okada repeated, stepping forward and taking the Ace's overheated body from the Young Lions, throwing one muscular arm over his own shoulders. “I'll take him from here.”

A small, stunned crowd had gathered, watching as the former-rivals-and-current-partners walked carefully down the hallway—one with head high and determined, the other seeming to sink into the dark floor.

 

((()))

 

“What the hell are you doing?”

Okada smiled grimly. “Ah, so you can still talk.”

The Rainmaker set Tana down gently on the trainer's table, staring almost blankly at the older man (who was decidedly avoiding eye-contact with him, for some reason) as he lay back and sighed.

“You can go,” Hiroshi said, voice sounding rough and worn. He let his eyes drift shut. “Thanks.”

For a moment, there was a flash of the Old Rainmaker, the bratty Golden Prince who'd held the very same title that Tanahashi had just lost.

“Don't think you can just dismiss me, Old Man!”

Tanahashi eyes flashed open, hot with anger. “Get out.”

“I'm not leaving you, you bastard!”

A long moment passed between the two men. Tana's anger faded in an instant, replaced with confusion and wonder. Kazuchika sighed, cheeks flushed as he folded his arms and turned to face the door.

“I know you feel like shit right now,” he said simply. “I felt the same way. But...back then, after losing to Kenny, when I wanted to fall into a pit and never come out...I had CHAOS. I had them all with me.”

He turned his head, barely looking at the Ace, who had started to sit up. “But _you_ , you're stubborn, and proud, and ridiculous, and you won't cry on anyone's shoulder, and Nakamura-san and Shibata-san aren't here, so...I guess I'll stay with you.”

As if to punctuate his determination, Kazu pulled out a chair and sat down forcefully, arms still crossed as he pretended to stare intently at the irregularities of the nearest wall.

Tanahashi's eyes were wide now, and he found himself utterly unable to form a single sentence. It was all so unexpected and almost hilarious that he could have laughed if his whole body and soul weren't in such pain.

He sat there, quietly, seeing the young future-Ace in a new light, and felt something akin to gratefulness swelling in his heart.

Unfortunately, that feeling crashed headlong into the intense sadness he felt at having been bested yet again by the parasite Jay White; and before he could stop them, hot tears were streaming down his face.

“Dammit,” he choked out, head falling heavily into his hands. “Dammit!”

Okada sat forward, unsure of just how, or even if he could, comfort the man in front of him. Fortunately at that moment, the doctor entered, which simultaneously froze Kazuchika in place and dried Tanahashi's tears.

'I guess we'll talk later.'

 

((()))

 

“You don't have to come with me.”

Kazu sighed for what had to be the 20th time. He looked down at Tanahashi with a mixture of annoyance and sympathy as the older man climbed into the taxi.

“I told you, I'm not leaving you alone,” he explained as he hopped into the back of the car too. “And, really, if you want to blame someone, it's your own fault. _You_ came after _me_ , remember?”

Tana looked away with a sigh of his own, although there was a small smile on his face, which gave Okada some hope that tonight might not be as bad as he had anticipated.

“You're annoying. Like your boyfriend,” Hiroshi said softly, letting his head rest against the cool glass of the window.

Kazu raised an eyebrow. “If you're referring to _our_ boyfriend Shinsuke, then, yes; I learned much from him.”

The ride to Tanahashi's house was silent, though not uncomfortable. Okada was uncharacteristically attentive, carrying Tana's bags, and even helping him limp up the stairs, and into the bathroom.

As he heard the water running, Kazu warmed up some tea, gather several sports drinks, and set them on the nightstand by Tana's overly-pillowed bed. Although he had planned on respecting the Ace's privacy, he couldn't help but glance around at the many pictures and assorted memorabilia that seemed to cover every inch of the room.

Wrestling, Kamen Rider, landscapes, motorcycles, gym stuff, random cute anime plushies...

But then there were the pictures. Pictures of damn near everyone the man had ever met, it seemed.

Some were group shots, some were solo shots; many were from the pre-cell phone era, and Okada couldn't fathom how Tana had even taken them. Several were scattered around the room, but some were framed and in special places: near the bed, on the tables, by the door, on the ceiling?

'There's even a few pictures of himself...fuckin' narcissist.'

“Why are you staring at a picture of me when you've got the real thing right here?”

Kazu turned around slowly, making sure to look everywhere but where he knew a half-naked Tana was standing. “Feeling good enough to flirt, I see. No thanks; I've seen enough these last few months. More than I ever wanted to see.”

Tanahashi scoffed, and tossed himself onto the bed with a huff. “Asshole.”

He really did feel much better now that he had spent some time under hot water, combed out the knots and blood from his hair, and put on a comfortable pair of pajamas. Now that he was home, his warm, cozy room was like a safe haven to him from the storm of emotions that threatened to break at any minute.

After a moment, he noticed the drinks on the table. He sat up, downed a bottle all at once, and looked at Okada, who, indeed, had been watching him the entire time.

“Why are you doing this?” he asked finally, shoulders slumped. “I'd like to be alone with my misery, if you don't mind.”

“Ahhh...That's going to be a no. Sorry.”

“Why?!”

For a moment, the Rainmaker looked hurt. “Because I'm your partner now, you dummy! And I...I learned my lesson, when it comes to caring for those close to you...” He shifted slightly, from one foot to the other.

“I'm not a kid anymore, you know. I am the leader of CHAOS, and pain has taught me love, too.”

Tanahashi shook his head, admittedly, deep down, somewhat in awe of Okada's words. When had he grown to be such a person as this?

And even deeper down, he was thankful that he didn't have to spend the night alone.

“Well, in that case, I guess I'll just have to invite you to sleep with me,” he sigh, feigning non-nonchalance, hiding a small, wicked smile as the younger man blushed. “I won't do anything to you, I promise.”

Warily, Okada began to remove his clothing; having already showered at the arena, and having wisely brought an overnight bag, he quickly changed into a simple shirt and shorts while Tana fiddled with his phone. Kazuchika watched him carefully, noticing the absent look in his eyes; so different from when he surfed social media under normal circumstances.

But there was nothing normal about tonight.

The Rainmaker climbed onto the bed, and slid under the covers at he same time as Tana, both of them keeping a small, comfortable space between their bodies.

All at once, Tana's phone buzzed loudly.

He looked at it with a slightly confused expression, the number that popped up not one that he recognized. It was text, abrupt and detail-less:

 

_Lost phone. Sorry to message so late._

_I'm coming over in two days._

_Don't be alone._

_I love you._

 

Okada, who had scooted closer to read over Tana's shoulder, scratched his head. “Who the hell...?”

“It's Shibata-san,” Hiroshi said with a bright smile, wiping at his eyes. “That big idiot.” He immediately began to text back.

 

_I am okay._

_I am happy to see you so soon!_

_Not alone; Okada is here._

_I love you, too._

 

“Hey, hey, are you sure you want to mention me?” Kazu asked, genuinely afraid. He hadn't forgotten the way Shibata had beaten the hell out of him in their last match together...He certainly didn't want an encore if it happened to be that The Wrestler was also The Jealous Type.

“He's okay with it,” Tanahashi laughed, setting down his phone. “The only one he truly gets jealous of is—”

As if on cue, the phone began to ring this time, nearly falling off the edge of the table with its movement. Tana picked it up, pressing it to his ear as he sat up, nearly hugging the damned thing.

“Tana! Are you okay?! Where are you right now?! What's happening?!”

It was Shinsuke, sounding panicky and scared. Okada, who could just barely make out the words, had never heard that tone in his dear Nakamura-san's voice...

It frightened him.

“I'm fine...” Tanahashi began, half-lying, which immediately drew another storm of words.

“There's no way you're fine after that! That little shit, how dare he?! Are you hurt? Is someone there? I know Kushida recently left, but—”

“I'm not alone,” Tana interrupted, making Nakamura fall silent. “I...I'm with someone. I'm with Kazu, actually.”

For a long moment, Shinsuke was silent. And when he spoke again, his voice was filled with relief.

“Thank goodness. Can he hear me now?”

“Yes, I think so.”

“Good. Thank you, Kazu. You have been shining even more brightly now than before, haven't you?”

“Thank you, Nakamura-san...I'm just following your lead,” Okada answered with a red face and a small smile.

On the other end, Shinsuke scoffed. “You're the leader now, my dear one. Thank you for taking care of him. He's stubborn, so...I know it wasn't easy.”

“Eh, it wasn't too bad.”

“I'm literally right here,” Tanahashi said with a scowl, drawing a laugh from the former CHAOS mates. “Don't talk about me in third person, you assholes.”

“Yeah, well, listen,” Nakamura said, becoming serious again. “Let Okada stay. And open up to him, he can handle it. He quite literally knows the pain that you're going through. Don't...don't try to make your heart hard, okay? I love you, even from far away.”

Tana sniffed. “I know, I can feel it from here... I love you, too Shinsuke.”

“I love you also, Kazu-kun, with my whole heart. Both of you, be safe until I can come to you, okay?”

“Okay,” the two men answered in unison, surprised by their synchronicity.

“That's my boy... _boys_.” They could almost hear the smile in Shinsuke's voice as he talked, and it made both of them feel lightheaded with happiness. “Now, get some rest, both of you. Sleep in. Eat a lot of food. And greet the Sun with your whole heart tomorrow. Goodnight.”

“Don't tell me what to do,” was Tana's quick reply.

“Love you,” Okada said at the same time, wiping away a few stray tears of his own.

Tanahashi looked at his phone as he hung up; there were, he noticed, several texts and missed calls from people checking in on him—from the moment the match ended up until this minute. Even fans on social media had reached out to him.

He didn't know what to say to them all. But as he felt the love from everyone—from Nakamura and Shibata halfway across the world, to fans who gave their heart and energy to him, to Okada sitting right by his side—Tana finally found the strength to touch the hard ball of sorrow that had been sitting in his chest since Jay had pinned him.

For a moment, it was only pain, sharp and small; but a second later, it had radiated throughout his entire body; and Tanahashi found himself lying on his side, hugging his pillow as he sobbed. Okada was behind him, a warm hand on his shoulder as his emotions flowed out of him like a raging storm.

“I worked so hard,” he wept, voice barely above a whisper. “I tried so hard to prove that I was still worthy...but now...now...”

Kazuchika didn't say a word; he simply kept his hand on Tana's shoulder, a silent sentry until the older man had at last cried himself to sleep. Then, as carefully as he could, the Rainmaker clicked off the lamp, pulled up the sheets, and fell asleep against the Ace, pulling him against his chest.

 

((()))

 

Hiroshi woke up the next morning confused and comfortable. It was extremely early, and his knees were hurting like hell; but his back felt warm, and there was an arm around his waist.

“What...?”

He half-turned, and found himself staring into Okada's slightly-drooling mouth.

It made him smile.

The Ace reached over and grabbed his phone, opening Twitter out of habit.

But, really, what could he say? He felt better than he thought he would, all things considered. Perhaps crying with someone was what had helped the grieving process go faster?

In fact, if he really thought about it, he didn't feel as hopeless as he'd feared. Last night was rough, but with the morning Sun, he felt hope.

He looked down at the phone in his hands, and knew exactly what he wanted to say, this bright, beautiful morning after such a dark, painful loss.

Yes, his soul was hurting; but he'd be damned if he let it stop him.

 

_Fall seven times; stand up eight._

 


End file.
